Emulsifying apparatus



March 10, 1936.

c; F. CHAPMAN 2,033,412

EMULSIFYING APPARATUS Filed April 2:5, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l C. F. CHAPMAN EMULSIFYING APPARATUS March 10, 1936.

Filed April 23, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 1936. c. F. CHAPMAN EMULSIFYING APPARATUS Filed April 23, 1932 5 SheetsSheet 3 l/I II n "m N v m. H

Patented Mar. 10, I936 PATENT OFFICE 2,033,412 nmsrrrmc arraaa'rus Charles F. Chapman, Chicago, 111., assignor to Kraft-Phenix Cheese Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application April 23, 1932, Serial No. 607,035

6Claims.

This invention relates to an improved emulsifying method and apparatus and is susceptible to use in the production of many varied kinds of emulsified products, although designed particu- 5 larly for the purpose of making salad dressing,

particularly the kind ordinarily known as mayonnaise.

The objects of the invention are to provide a continuous process for making an emulsified 1 product; to provide apparatus for making an emulsification by a continuous process; to provide mechanism which will produce on a commercial scale, a better emulsiilcation than has heretofore been attainable on such a scale; to provide mech- 1'5' anlsm for injecting predetermined quantities .of

various ingredients into the emulsifying apparatus; and to provide an automatic arrangement for measuring and injecting said quantities of the various ingredients into the emulsifying apgo paratus. In general, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved emulsifying method and apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the follow- 25 ing specification and accompanying drawings (3 sheets) in. which an emulsifying apparatus for making mayonnaise is illustrated.

In the drawings:-- Fig. 1 is a side elevation,

30 Fig. 2 is a centralvertical section through the apparatus, the plane of this section being indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 3 is a detail section. I Fig. 4 is a plan section on the line H of Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 5 is a plan section corresponding to a-portion of Fig. 4, but showingpa changed position of a rotary element, and

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 67-6 of Fig. 2.

40 Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus therein disclosed includes an upright or vertical tank or receptacle I0 which is suitably supported on a base or frame H and surrounded for the major portion of its length by a water jacket i2 45 whereby the temperature of the material within the receptacle ii? maybe controlled. Inlet and outlet connections l2? and l2 respectively ailord communication with the jacket 12 whereby warm or cool water or-other fluid may on be circulated in thejacket.

The receptacle It is preferably a multi-sided receptacle, in this instance 6-sided or hexagonal in plan as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The use of a multi-sided receptacle such as just menas tioned (1055 not appear important for the purpose element, presently to be described, past the corner pockets of the receptacle.

The receptacle is provided with top and bottom closures" and M respectively which are suitably secured to the receptacle, and the said end closures are provided with suitable bosses such as indioated at l5 for housing anti-friction bearing 16 in which the shaftv ll of an agitator is rotatably mounted at its opposite ends.

The agitator includes, in this instance, a plu- 5 rality of vertically spaced sets or series of beater pins l8. Each set or series of beaterpins l8 consists of a plurality of beater pins, in this instance 6, which extend radially outwardly fromthe shaft l'l, thesaid pins being mounted on the 20 shaft in this instance through the agency of a wood sleeve or collar is which is secured to the shaft for rotation therewith in any suitable manner.

A plurality of sets or series of normally stationary beater pins 20 extend inwardly from the. sides of the receptacle; these sets being also arranged in vertically spaced relation intermediate the sets or series of rotatable beater pins l8. As will be understood from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 4, each layer or set of beater pins 20 consists of a plurality of such pins, in this instance 6, which extend radially inwardly from the re-- spective side walls of the receptacle.

The'agitator maybe rotated by anysuitable power'means'which may have an operative connection with the shaft I! through the agency of a bevel gear 2| on the lower end of the said shaft. Commercial mayonnaise is ordinarily made of oil, egg,'vinegar and air. For introducing such 40 ingredients into the receptacle in proper proportions, the following described supply and measuring apparatus may be associated with the emulsifying apparatus proper. Hoppers 22, .23, and 25 for holding supplies of oil, egg, and vinegar respectively, are provided, These hoppers are preferably made as a single unit as indicated in Fig. 6, and has secured to its lower end a multiple valve member 25.v This valve element includes a cylindrical chamber which has openings such as indicated at 21 for-communicating with the respective supply hoppers. A valve core 28 is rotatably mounted in the cylinder 25 and isprovide'dwith, cut-out portions such as indicated at 29 which registerwith the openings 21 and 5' core registers with an inlet opening 21 which has a suitable connection to a source of clean air.

The last mentioned valve opening 29 also registers with an outlet opening 30- in the valve body 25. The respective valve core passageways 23 and 29 also communicate through suitable openings in the valve body with measuring cylin-' ders 3! within which are disposed suitable pump pistons 32.

'I'hepump pistons 32 are connected by means of suitable connecting rods or links to a bar 33 which is carried in the upper ends of a pair of rock arms 34. The rock arms 34 are connected together for unitary rocking movement about a pivot 35 on the main frame I I. The arms 34 are adapted to be rocked by means of an eccentric 36 on a suitably driven shaft 31, the rock lever and eccentric being connected by means of a connecting rod 38.

The valve core is adapted to be rocked through the agency of a lever 39 which is connected to one end of the valve core as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6, a link 40 which extends between the free end of the lever 39, and the free end of another lever4| which is pivoted as indicated at 42 on the main frame II, and a cam 43'which is canied by the shaft 31 and operatively connected to the arm or lever 4| through the agency of a cam collar 44 which is mounted on the said arm 4i.

By inspection of Fig. 2, it will be seen that when the valve core is in the position there illustrated and the pump pistons 32 move outwardly inthe respective cylinders, the respective cylinders will be filled with material drawn from the respective hoppers. When the pump piston 32 is in its outermost position, the valve core 28 is turned by the described mechanism so as to close the openings 21 between the hoppers and the measuring pumps and to establish communication between the measuring pumps and outlets and 30 Then when the pistons are reciprocated inwardly, the quantity of material in the piston is forced into the emulsifying receptacle, suitable conduits being provided for conveying the respective ingredients from the measuring pump to the receptacle.

In this instance, the main or basic ingredients,

of the emulsified product (eggand oil) are carried by conduits 45 and 46 to suitable inlet openings in the bottom of the receptacle as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The air from one of the measuring pumps is preferably injected-into the interior of the receptacle at a point spaced materially upwardly from the bottom'thereof, an air inlet 41 being herein shown located slightly above the middle of the zone of operation of the emulsifying beater pins l8 and 20. As shown,

the air inlet 41 is in the form of a pipe having outlet perforations in its side wall, to more or less spray air into the emulsified content of the receptacle. The inlet pipe 41 is of a size com parable with one of the stationary beater pins 20 and is substituted therefor. The air outlet element 41 is connected by means of a suitable conduit 43 with the-air pump.

In the production of mayonnaise, an ingredient such as vinegar may be added but it is desirable to add such ingredient near the end of the emulsifying process if not actually after the completion of the emulsifying operation. Accordingly, an inlet member 50 for a final ingredient such as vinegar is provided in lieu of one of the normally stationary beater pins 23 of the top set, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The inlet member 50 is prefertation or beating of the product after an ingredient such as vinegar is added. However, it is important to effect uniform distribution of such ingredient in the emulsified product, and for this purpose, a series of beater or mixing pins 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, and 51 are provided on theupper end of the rotating sleeve l9. As will be understood from an inspection of Fig. 2, this series of mixing pinsis arranged in a spiral fashion about the sleeve I9. There are no stationary beater pins such as 20 in the upper or mixing zone.of the receptacle l0; and hence, the mixing pins just mentioned have only a gentle stirring-in action on the last injected ingredient instead of an emulsifying efiect.

It will now be understood that the basic ingredients of the emulsified product to be made are introduced into the bottom of the receptacle, and that these ingredients are gradually and as an incident to the introduction of successive quantities of such ingredients. It is preferable that the arrangement be such that a fairly complete emulsificationbe accomplished before the product reaches the air inlet 41. The heater pins l8 and 23 disposed about the air inlet 41 then serve to effectively distribute the air uniformly throughout the material in the receptacle within the zone of action of the beater pins above the said air inlet. Of course, the beater pins in this upper zone of action serve to improve the emulsification, while also beating in the air as described. For testing the quality of the emulsification at about the level of the air inlet 41,

a tap 58- may be provided for facilitating the drawing oil of a sample of the emulsiflcation.

An outlet spout 59 is provided at the upper end of the receptacle and it will be apparent that in view of the successive introduction of quantities of the material emulsified, there will be a constant flow of the emulsified product out of the upper end of the receptacle. Hence, the appara-. tus described serves to carry on a continuous process of emulsiiication. It will be-appar'ent that the emulsifying efl'ect obtained in the above described apparatus may be controlled by varying the number and spacing of the rotary and stationary beater pins; for example, the emulsifying effect of the rotary agitator is almost entirely eliminated in the upper portion of the receptacle where the last series of rotary beater pins 52 to 51 inclusive serve-only to effect a gentle mixing of the last added ingredient to the emulsified product. Hence, it may be said that the described apparatus is adjustable to control the degree of emulsiflcation efl'ected.

' Changes in the described structure and adaptations thereof to the production of various emulwith the state of the art.

, comprising a receptacle having a pair of inlets in its lower end portion, means for introducing into said receptacle through said inlets, measured quantities of materials to be emulsified together, means for introducing another material into the receptacle adjacent its upper end, an outlet disposed above said last mentioned inlet, and a revoluble agitator in said receptacle, said agitator having a plurality of vertically spaced sets of circumferentially spaced heaters for efiecting emulsification of the materials introduced into the lower end portion of the receptacle and a plurality of vertically spaced sets of heaters, each set comprising fewer beaters than said emulsifying sets and being operative to e'fiect, with a gentle stirring action, distribution throughout the emulsified material of the material introduced into the upper end portion of the receptacle.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a receptacle having a plurality of vertically spaced sets of stationary beater elements extending inwardly from its side walls, an agitator r0- tatably mounted in said receptacle and having a plurality of sets of outwardly projecting beater elements adapted to travel in the spaces between said inwardly extending beater elements, said agitator also having means above the inwardly projecting beater elements for effecting limited agitation of the content of the receptacle above said inwardly extending beater elements, means for introducing the ingredients to be emulsified into the zone of action of the stationary and rotatable beater elements, and means for introducing another ingredient into the receptacle inthe zone of action of said limited agitating means.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a receptacle, agitating means rotatable within said receptacle for effecting em'ulsification of material introduced into the receptacle, means for introducing material into the receptacle adjacent its lower end, means spaced upwardly from said inlet for introducing air into an upper portion of the zone of operation of said agitating means for lightening the emulsified product, means for introducing another ingredient into the receptacle above the zone of operation of said emulsifying means, and means comprising an extended part of said agitator for efiecting distribution of said last mentioned ingredient throughout the emulsified product by a relatively gentle mixing action.

4. Apparatus oi the class described, comprising a receptacle having a plurality of vertically spaced sets of beater elements extending inwardly from its side walls, an agitator rotatably mounted in said receptacle and having a. central shaft and a plurality of sets of beater elements projecting outwardly from said shaft and adapted to travel in the spaces between said'inwardly extending beater elements, said agitator also having means above the inwardly projecting beater elements for elfecting limited agitation of the content of the receptacle above said inwardly extending beater elements, said receptacle having an inlet opening in its lower portion for ingredients to be emulsified, and an outlet opening in its upper portion andone of said inwardly extending beater elements in the upper portion of the receptacle being hollow and having an opening communicating with the interior of the receptacle intermediate the agitator shaft and the receptacle wall for facilitating introduction of an ingredient in the midst of the material emulsified, to be distributed uniformly therein by said limited agitatingmea 5. Emulsifying apparatus comprising a vertically elongated receptacle having inlet and outlet openings respectively located adjacent the lower and upper ends of the receptacle, the side wall of the receptaclebeing formed so as to provide, in efiect, a multiplicityof relatively independent, circumferentially discontinuous side wall portions, vertically spaced beater members extending inwardly from said wallportions, and an agitator mounted for rotation in said receptacle and provided with beater members adapted to pass between certain of said first mentioned beater members.

6. Emulsifying apparatus comprising a vertically elongated receptacle having inlet and outlet openings respectively located adjacent the lower and upper ends of the receptacle, the side wall of the receptacle being formed so as to provide, in effect, a plurality of relatively independent, axially extending, discontinuous, substantially fiat wall portions arranged in angular relation to each other, vertically spaced beater members extending inwardly from said wall portions, and an agitator mounted for rotation in said receptacle and provided with beater members adapted to pass between certain of said first mentioned beater members.

CHARLES F. CHAPMAN; 

